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Oct. 18; 1932. J. BERGMANN 1,383,853

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1928 q l f 1000000000 l 1000000000 l d ,000000000 Il l l000000000 Il |@00000000 1| ILL l 000000000 L| Inventor:

J' ergman Patented Oct. 18,` 1932 UNITED STATES JEAN BERGMANN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY CALCULATING MACHINE Application led September 21, 1928, Serial No. 307,499, and in Germany August 30, 1927.

The invention relates to improvements in calculating machines which are provided with flexible setting racks'.

In a calculating machine according to the invention the flexible racks are moved into the inoperative or zero position against the action of springs, and are released from that position by keys which are also adaptedto limit or determine the movement of the racks under the action of their springs.

The invention also inc-ludes means for returning the racks to zero position, for returning the keys to initial position, for holding the racks in check when in their setting positions and for operating type wheels or segments in conjunction with the racks as will hereinafter appear and as pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:-

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of one embodiment of the invention, only such parts of the machine being indicated as are necessary to the understanding of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan corresponding thereto but with the casing and parts of the racks broken away to expose the type segments and their connections.

In the example illustratedin the drawing a are the flexible setting racks which are arranged to slide in curved guides o forming a part of the casing. The curvedf'guides cause the racks to move in partly curved paths. Each setting rack a has a tension spring o which is attached at one end to l'the rack near 35 its forward end and at its other end to a stationary part of the casing not shown. Each rack a also has a stop d. A detent for each rack has a retaining tooth e, an operating arm e', a pivot f and a spring g. When a rack is moved` into its inoperative or zero position its stop d, which is cam or wedge shaped on its forward face, raises the tooth e of the detent until it snaps behind the rear vertical face of the stop d under the action of the spring g, so that the rack is detained in the zero position 'against the action of the tensioned spring c.` A series of setting keys z', numbered for example 1 to 9 inclusive, is provided foreach flexible rack a. A bar z, 5p is slidably mounted on the casing key board z. It is slotted to receive the keys z' of the corresponding series and has downwardly inclined tongues Z for engagement with wedges of each key, z'. When the key i is depressed its wedge lc thrusting against the tongue Z slides the bar h forwardly and the bar L engaging with the detent arm e thereby raises the tooth e away from the stop d, so that the rackl a is moved towards the rear or setting position by the spring c. Each key d has a stop m which, when the key is depressed engages with a plate y.

It also has a lower wedge shaped end cam or tooth 2 which, when the key i is depressed to its full extent, is in-fthe path 5f the stop d and consequently arrests the same and the corresponding rack a, thereby limiting the rearward movement of the rack, or in other words determining its settingposition. When the racks have been moved into their setting positions they present the required number of teeth to the counting mechanism according to the value of the keys depressed. This mechanism is not indicated as it is known, for example it may be of the nature described in the specification of English Patent No. 280,135.

A pawl 'v pivoted to the plate y is provided for each rack a and engages with the teeth thereof to prevent return of the rack while in its setting position. The pawl v slips over the rack teeth when the rack is being moved back by its spring c. It is disengaged as hereinafter described when the racks a are returned to the zero position.

The setting racks a are returned to their inoperative or zero position by a transverse bar u which may be moved manually from the position shown in Figure 1 to the left. The bar u is of cam wedge shape in crosssection and as it is moved to the left it not only engages with the stops cl of the set racks a to return them to their zero position but also with the teeth 2 of the depressed keys z' so that these are returned to their normal or inoperative positions.

A spring t under each pawl o is held depressed by the bar u so long the bar is in its normal or inoperative position as indicated in 1 Figure 1. Immediately the bar u is moved towards the left it releases each spring t which thereupon raises its corresponding pawl v away from the teeth of the corresponding rack a. y A type wheel or segment s provided for each rack a and corresponding series of keys z'. I

Each segment s is operatively connected to its corresponding rack a so that it will be rotated or oscillated to bring its type into printing position in accordance with the settin thereof, namely 'according to the value of t e setting key i depressed to determine the setting of the rack. For example, each rack a is shown connected by a. link o to a lever g connected to the type segment s the levers g being preferably curved to correspond substantially with the shape of the part Z) of the casing. Any usual ink printing ribbon mechv anism and paper feeding mechanism known in the art may be used to effect printing by means of the type segments.

In order that the type segments s may be arranged close together to occupy less width than that occupied by the racks a, the links 0 are bent as indicated in plan in Figure 2.

I claim.

1. Setting mechanism for calculating machines, including a flexible setting rack provided with setting teeth, a spring for moving said rack towards setting position, means retaining said rack in zero position, and movable keys acting as stops for limiting the movement of the flexible rack and connected with the retaining means whereby to release the latter, means for retaining the exible rack in setting position, and a manually operable member adapted to engage and return the keys to initial position and coacting with the second mentioned retaining means to ef' fect release of the latter and permit the return of the flexible setting rack to zero position.

2. Setting mechanism for calculating machines including a flexible setting rack pro' vided with setting teeth, a spring for moving said rack towards setting position, means retaining said rack in zero position, movable keys acting as stops for limiting the movement of the iiexible rack and connected with the retaining means whereby to release the latter, means for retaining the flexible rack in setting position and a manually operable member adapted to engage and yreturn they keys to initial position and associated with the second mentioned retaining means to effect release of the latter and permit the return of the flexible setting rack to zero position, said manually operable member cooperating with the second mentioned retaining means through a spring pawl which is normally held ineiective by said member but adapted to release said retaining means when JEAN BERGMANN. 

